Soft Spot
by Kalira69
Summary: Everyone has a weak spot, if you can find it, but Neji's is well protected. (NejiHina Week, Day 4)


Written for NejiHina Week, Day 4: Weak Spot. Happy Valentine's Day! Have some slightly bloody fluff for the occasion.

* * *

This, Neji thought with weary irritation, was a simple courier mission. Should have been three days, mostly travel time - instead he was more than a week gone and he'd spent the last two days playing dodge the kunai with a small pack of missing nin.

He should have known better. This was supposed to have been a _break_ of sorts - but at least if he had been on the ANBU mission this 'break' had replaced he would have had the rest of his squad.

Neji deflected a rain of glowing green darts with a hasty flare of chakra and dropped from his perch towards the ground, avoiding a second volley and searching out their source. He interrupted what looked like a third volley forming by flinging a handful of shuriken, then ducked the lunge of the second missing nin from behind him.

Probably, anyway. Neji was sent on solo missions fairly frequently as well. He could have run into the same sort of trouble on the way back from a much more difficult mission. Impossible to know. He winced as he didn't manage to fully avoid a swiping strike that laid open a shallow gash over his cheekbone, but in exchange he left a deep gash in the enemy nin's thigh.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he pulled back, unable to dodge a more focused and more thickly populated rain of the glowing jutsu which was probably toxic, knowing his luck. Neji ignored the insults that came with the attack and threw out a kaiten that dragged at his reserves - running thin after several days with almost no rest, peppered with little battles like this one.

It was a tough battle, all of them feeling the strain of the running fight of the past days, but Neji had been through far worse. He was probably more bloody-minded than they were, too, Neji thought wryly as he blocked a twelfth tenketsu in one of his opponents, then ducked away from a sloppy sword strike coming from behind. They weren't used to fighting someone with Byakugan, hadn't adjusted well enough even after days of chasing him.

"Everyone has a weak spot, even _you_!"

Neji spat out blood and twisted fluidly, sending a spike of chakra from his palm into the chest of the enemy nin. He collapsed with a choking sound, thick, dark blood spilling over his lips, and Neji dropped to a crouch to finish him.

"That may be true," Neji said in a low voice, eyes flicking over the dying enemy nin and then up to scan his surroundings, "but you still have to find it." He threw a handful of kunai, dispelling the lingering pair of clones that had been stalking behind him, trying to catch him in a pincer formation, then closed his eyes for a moment as he released Byakugan. "And you could not touch mine if you tried."

Neji snorted, wobbling slightly as he rose to his feet. Those had been the last of the cell he had stumbled upon, and - he ran his fingers over the scrolls in his pouch - he could now turn directly for Konoha and the completion of his mission.

Even as worn as he was, it took him less than one full day before he was turning over the scrolls he had collected, report delivered, and heading home to a well-deserved bath and bed. It was only a few hours until dawn, but Neji was strongly considering staying in bed until at least dawn tomorrow.

He'd earned it. Even if he probably wouldn't actually be able to rest for so long before his own nature forced him up again.

Neji hung his towel over the edge of the bath, the aches the hot water had eased beginning to come back already. He inspected his injuries and bandaged the few that were deep enough to need it, then left the steamy bathroom behind.

Neji paused in the doorway, then pushed his still-wet hair over his shoulder and stepped into the bedroom, making his way quietly through the small room.

His heart beat a little quicker as he reached the bed, finding Hinata peacefully asleep.

He hadn't been sure if she was home. He hadn't looked before, knowing if she _was_ , he wouldn't be able to drag himself away once he found her.

Neji smiled, bending and tracing his fingertips along her cheek. Hinata stirred, but did not wake, her chakra flowing in gentle, unassuming waves within her as she slept on.

Neji's true weakest point, for all her own strength.

His smile tilted crookedly as he sighed, then eased carefully into bed. He stifled a groan at the shift in his abused, tired muscles and lay back. The tension had begun to ease out of his body when he passed through Konoha's gates, and more during his shower, but now, surrounded with the familiar scent and feel of home. . .

Neji turned over, muscles going lax, and snuggled into the soft plane of a slim shoulder as heavy darkness crept up over his exhausted mind. He vaguely heard a soft, startled murmur, and felt the gentle touch of a hand caressing his brow and down his cheek, and smiled into the delicate crook of Hinata's neck.

* * *

As my friend M commented. . . "my weak point is also my pillow zzzzzzzzzzz" *falls asleep on her*


End file.
